


A Labour of Love

by banquos_ghost



Series: Mad About The Boy [9]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Angst and Humor, Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Injury, Smut, Spoilers, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-30
Updated: 2016-07-30
Packaged: 2018-07-27 17:16:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7627102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/banquos_ghost/pseuds/banquos_ghost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was all Preston Garvey's idea - win Nora's allegiance back from the Institute to the Minutemen with a carefully crafted letter.  Now all MacCready had to do was write it and deliver it to her in person.  What could possibly go wrong?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bullshit, He Wrote

**Author's Note:**

> Follows chronologically from part 8

At Sanctuary Hills

'Pull yourself together, man..' Preston Garvey was normally a very patient man, but even his patience had its limits.

MacCready sighed and shrugged. He couldn't even be bothered to string together a sarcastic comment in reply.

'Where are you going anyway?' Preston gestured at MacCready's half packed bag, brimming out its contents on to the floor. 

'I said I'd meet Nora at Mass Fusion Headquarters in a few days...' MacCready continued to sort through his belongings in a desultory manner.

'Well, I thought you'd be happy, you said you were out of your mind with boredom... in fact I think you threatened to shove my musket up my ass if I whistled one more time...' 

That brought a small smile of recollection to MacCready's lips...'Oh come on Preston, you're not going to hold that against me, are you? You know I was only kidding, right?'

'Hmm... ' Preston suppressed a tut of annoyance. Whilst he now held MacCready in high esteem, it was based on respect for MacCready's loyalty and service to the General. The reality of being with MacCready at close quarters was a constant drain on Preston's patience. Everything that he found irritating about the mercenary's manner was made even worse by the absence of the General. At least when Nora was around MacCready was kept busy following her round like a puppy dog. With Nora out of the picture MacCready was a loose cannon.

Despite his natural aversion Preston could see something was genuinely troubling MacCready deeply, so he tamped down his distaste and decided to offer assistance. Knowing he would probably regret it, he persisted in his questioning, 'Look MacCready, you're not much use to the settlement or the General in this state so maybe I can help?'

When MacCready turned to Preston with a sigh, words started spilling from his lips in such a torrent Preston couldn't decipher them. He was wondering what he had unleashed, worried MacCready might start crying. Now that was something Preston had thought he'd never have to see and he was still unwilling to witness it. 'Woah, let's go sit down somewhere more comfortable and we'll talk this through..' Preston gently guided MacCready to the two seats on the verandah.

This seemed to have the effect on MacCready that Preston had hoped for. MacCready sat on one of the chairs, lit a cigarette and was lost in thought for a moment. Then he turned to Preston and started to talk calmly, 'Well.. I . ugh, oh God I feel so disloyal, Preston...'

'Why, what happened...?'

'It's Nora.. the General.. she ugh, I _think_ Shaun has won her over to the Institute's side and errr, well..'

Preston started to see why MacCready had been so prickly and out of sorts since Nora's last visit. 'What....? I thought she was only working with them temporarily to bring them down from the inside?'

'Umm yeah, that was the plan but that bastard Shaun, well.. OK, here's the thing.. she told me that Shaun is dying and has named her as his successor..'

Preston's interest was really piqued now. He nodded at MacCready to continue.

'Well, I think she actually wants to lead the Institute.. once Shaun dies.'

'No way would the General want that...'

'It's true, man... She even asked me to go and live with her, and to take Duncan with me...'

'WHAT!!!!' Now Preston was seriously concerned. 'But what about all the settlements we've built and the people we've helped?'

'Exactly, my friend, exactly. You know Preston, I really thought everything was going to work out for a moment there. I should have known better.... Happy endings aren't for people like me...'

'It's not just about you though is it, MacCready...? If the General abandons us what is going to happen to all of our settlements, you have to stop her!'

'Don't you fu... think I want to...' MacCready's self pity was taking hold of him once more and he struggled and stumbled over his next words, the humiliation flowing through him was an unpleasant and unfamiliar feeling. 'I... er... don't think she listens to me any more. I don't think she loves me anymore..'

Preston felt a wave of discomfort about the way the conversation was going. Playing agony aunt to MacCready's love life was not a role he signed up for. This was a crisis though and Preston was good in a crisis. 'Of course she does, you've just got to remind her...'

'HOW?!' MacCready barked back at Preston, relieved to take his anger and frustration out on the long suffering Minuteman. Preston cocked an eyebrow in response to MacCready's rage. 'Umm sorry, I meant, how can I remind her when she won't even talk to me..?'

'Well... write it down in a letter for her. Just take what you feel and write it all down... ' Preston was warming to idea, in fact it had given him inspiration. ' And I'm going to write her a letter too. Let her know how much the Minutemen need her, and what she's done for us'

MacCready shrugged. Seemed like a totally lame idea. Nora would probably read his scribblings and throw them onto the fire. 

'That's if you can actually write, MacCready...?' Preston knew exactly what buttons to press to get a reaction from MacCready.

'Of course I can fu.. darn well write... Right, now where I can I get me some paper.' MacCready stalked off to look for stationery and Preston smiled to himself.

__________________________________________________

The typewriter had definitely seen better days, despite being coaxed back to life by Nora. Some of the keys were skew-whiff and the hideous noises it occasionally made had people all around the settlement wincing. None of this was any concern to MacCready as he sat at the contraption deep in thought. He had better get a move on, if he was going to meet Nora in two days time _and_ write this letter. He felt far more at home using a rifle than a typewriter. He'd started writing the letter in pen, but the novelty and opportunities for procrastination offered by the typewriter were too compelling, so MacCready had spent a few hours typing out pages of bullshit to work out how to use the damn thing. Now he'd mastered the mechanics he was all out of excuses, and with Preston breathing down his neck he had no choice but to start the long put-off letter to Nora.  
  
MacCready was used to writing letters to Duncan but this was different. How could he capture what he felt for Nora in a few small words? Well, better to try than not at all. He thought back to the early days of their relationship, how much of an asshole he had been. Now it would appear it was Nora's turn to be the asshole. OK, telling her in a letter that she was being an asshole was probably not the way to win her back... So MacCready rummaged around in his memory looking for inspiration. All that Nora had done for him, now there was a better train of thought. Mass Pike Interchange, getting the cure for Duncan. Ah, now there was some golden material right there. MacCready started to type, his feelings flowing through his fingers through the wonky old typewriter keys onto the paper. Once he had finished he pushed the eject lever of the typewriter with a flourish. As he read back through his own outpourings MacCready gurned. OK, he wasn't going to win any prizes for literature and Piper wouldn't exactly be beating the door down to recruit him for Publick Occurrences, but somehow, amongst all the bullshit he had sort of managed to convey something of his feelings for Nora. Hopefully well enough that she would take something from it anyway. Well, it would have to do, perhaps when accompanied by him in person, being his usual winsome self Nora would be won over. Perhaps...


	2. You Say Potato...

At the Institute

Nora looked around her rooms at the Institute with affectionate pride. She ached to stay in this place. It was truly the first place she had felt entirely safe and comfortable in since she emerged from the vault. She was able to sleep at night knowing her slumber wouldn't be disturbed by grotesque mutated beasts or worse. She desperately wanted to share the safety she felt here with MacCready. Why couldn't he just.. well just what? Do everything that was asked of him and play nice? When had he _ever_ done that? Just because he loved her now didn't mean he was just going to rollover and let her walk all over him. 

She was hurt by their parting the last time she saw him, the way he had rejected her appeals concerning the Institute. It still hurt that he didn't follow her and kiss her goodbye when she left Sanctuary Hills and teleported to the Institute. It should have been obvious to her that MacCready would never in a million years want to live in this place. Just imagining him here was virtually impossible. He was a man at home in his time and place. She was the one that was displaced and lost. A woman from the long distant past, more at home 200 years ago than in this hideous reality. What the hell was she going to do now? She was a changeling, a freak, what did MacCready even see in her anyway?

She should have known, after the cross words they had he wouldn't be chasing after her like a puppy dog. He had promised her that he'd never forget all the things she'd done for him, that she had saved him from himself. Well, turns out that was bullshit. All she'd done was to ask him to give the Institute a fair chance and he'd turned her down flat. 

She had been swept along by Shaun's rhetoric, only seeing the Institute through his eyes. Nora glared at her reflection in the flawless silver mirror on the wall, old self doubt and loathing manifesting itself as her reflection glared back at her. She was looking the best she had since leaving the vault, thanks to the facilities and sophistication of the Institute. She had never been one to be too concerned over her looks, at least not until she had lost them. _You don't miss your water until the well runs dry._ How true that old saying was. Easy to be casual about something until it was snatched away from you. She continued torturing herself with thoughts of MacCready. Maybe he never really loved her anyway? If he loved her he would come and live in the Institute with her... she had offered to go to the Capital Wasteland for him hadn't she? It was the least he could do. Once she was in charge she would be able to change the Institute for the better, and everybody would benefit from the technology they had access to. 

_What was so bad about the Institute anyway?_ Most of the Department Heads were deeply unhappy with Shaun's choice of his own mother as his successor, she could understand that. She would be annoyed in their place. It wasn't going to be easy to win them over, but when had anything been easy since she had come from that damn vault? The only thing that had happened easily and naturally was falling in love with MacCready. And now? Was she just as easily and naturally falling _out_ of love with him? 

Nora lay down on the bed. It was going to be a big day tomorrow, she was going to Mass Fusion and meeting MacCready there. Once she saw him in the flesh, then she would know, know for sure her feelings for him. She was convinced of that. Nora tossed and turned in the comfort of her bed that night. She loved MacCready, couldn't imagine life without him, but.. but... 

She had grown used to deep slumber within her room at the Institute without having to chase it too hard. Her head touched the pillow and usually that was enough to send her to the Land of Nod. Tonight was different. Her anxiety at seeing MacCready within a few hours just wouldn't dissipate. She lay on her side and unbidden imagined MacCready next to her in the bed, his arms around her and his breath lulling her to sleep. He would nuzzle into her neck,and she would push back into him and feel his erection pressing into her back. He would caress her and his hands would roam over her, seeking out those familiar places that would have her sighing with pleasure. The only sigh she gave now was one of frustration. She reached over to the bedside table and switched off the lamp.  
\--------------------------------------------------  
  
After a fitful night's sleep Nora met Allie Filmore in the teleportation chamber. The Gunners and the Brotherhood of Steel had been fighting over the Mass Fusion building for weeks, and Allie was concerned that the beryllium agitator would be lost forever in the confusion if they didn't act now. Allie's plan was to teleport into the Executive Suite, grab the beryllium agitator and leave. Nora doubted if it would be that simple, experience of the Commonwealth had taught her that a pessimistic outlook was rarely misplaced. Nora wondered if MacCready would turn up, if he was waiting outside then they would miss him entirely if they simply teleported to the Executive Suite at the top of the building. She argued with Allie, Nora wanted to meet with MacCready outside and use stealth to gain access to the area they needed to go. Teleportation was good in theory, but it was hardly inconspicuous when it generated so much noise and electrical flashes. 

Nora explained to Allie that she was used to working with MacCready and they would be for more likely to acheive their objective if they followed her plan. Allie was not happy, but eventually she consented to Nora's wishes, conceding to Nora's superior knowledge and experience of the surface. Once they had agreed on the modus operandi they stepped in to the teleporter and transported themselves outside the entrance of the Mass Fusion building.

Nora looked around hopefully for MacCready but he was nowhere to be seen. They waited as long as they dared outside the building but there was no sign of him after at least half an hour had passed, and having to constantly avoid the Brotherhood of Steel sentries was exhausting. Allie Filmore's patience had long since worn thin. When she spoke to Nora she was more than slightly smug. 'Look, he's not here.. we're just going to have go in without him'

Nora frowned, 'But when I spoke to the settlement at Hangman's Alley over the radio they told me he left hours ago and would _definitely_ meet us here.'

'So where is this paragon then?' Allie Filmore sneered. 'I was so looking forward to meeting the husband of the boss-in-waiting'

_Husband?_ Nora didn't remember ever calling MacCready that.. oh well, po-tay-to,po-tart-to... Husband, partner, boyfriend, whatever... it looks like none of the above applied anymore because he was nowhere to be seen. She had given him the choice of turning up, no hard feelings if he didn't. They had both known at the time that the _choice_ had been illusionary. She was furious and disappointed he wasn't there.


	3. A Romantic Foolishness

Two days it had taken MacCready to reach Mass Fusion, a journey which under normal circumstances would take him one day solo. En route he had been held up at the Starlight Drive-In and Hangman's Alley settlements, which Preston had asked him to stop by and check on. 

Preston had been in radio contact with the settlements prior to his arrival, asking for some more testimonies for MacCready to take to Nora. The settlers had rallied to Preston's request in their droves and by the time MacCready left Hangman's Alley his looseleaf folder was bursting at the seams and tied together with bits of string.

The Mass Fusion building wasn't far from Hangman's Alley and MacCready was familiar with the route. He travelled cautiously through the area around Boston Common, avoiding the usual mayhem by creeping around the various warring factions and avoiding being seen. When he was within a few meters of Mass Fusion he realised that he was a little early for their assignation, and Nora was nowhere to be seen. He stood outside Mass Fusion for a few moments, but this was not a place it was wise to hang around in. Brotherhood of Steel soldiers were patrolling the area and MacCready was standing out like a porcupine in a nudist colony. He decided to retreat to the relative safety of the Old Granary Burying Ground. The worst to worry about there would be a few ferals, and at least he'd be able to see them coming if he settled into a good vantage point. 

It had seemed like such a bright idea when he first had it. It was one of the most dangerous areas of Boston, and perhaps MacCready had become blasé, or he was too distracted with thoughts of Nora. Now he was cursing himself for being a fool, a stupid romantic fool. What the hell had he been thinking of? Gathering hubflowers for Nora in the Old Granary Burying Ground. Seriously? He should just shoot himself now and finish the job the supermutant suicider started. Flowers? He got distracted and risked his life for this stupid fucking bunch of flowers. The suicider had caught him by surprise as he stooped to pluck those flowers. MacCready cursed himself, stupid old world tradition of giving flowers that he had thought so cute to try and replicate had now nearly ended him. 

He was within spitting distance of Mass Fusion, but it may as well have been a hundred miles. He was in a bad way and struggled in vain to reach it. The injury was far worse than he had intially feared and he was losing blood at an alarming rate. Staggering from the graveyard he looked for a suitably safe place where he could rest awhile and administer a stimpak. He hunkered down in a side alley between a wrecked car and a brick wall. Fumbled in his bag for a stimpak. Cursing he wished he hadn't been so lackadaisical with the packing. Why had he only brought one damn stimpak? No choice, he'd have to use it and hope Nora and her Institute buddies had been more assiduous with their packing and would have spare ones to go around. 

He realised he was still clinging for dear life to the stupid bunch of dumbass flowers and he hurled them on the ground in disgust. As the stimpak took effect he tried to get to his feet. His body cried out in protest, and he sank back down to the ground. For fuck's sake, he was a liability, lying in some god forsaken alley, injured and about as much help as a chocolate teapot to Nora. He should never have come in the first place. He knew the perils of travelling alone in the Commonwealth. He would have kicked himself if he was still able to, the fury within in him keeping the pain at bay. A moment's distraction and he was locked in a downward spiral of events that had become catastrophic very, very quickly. 

_Never mind, never mind_ he thought to himself, _she would be along any moment now_. She would chastise him for his rashness. Give him a stimpak and kiss him on the cheek. Sarcastic remarks would pass between them. Everything would be all right. They should never have separated. It was as obvious and necessary to him as the air he was breathing down in shuddering gasps of pain. If only she could see that, they would be an invincible team again. 

MacCready tried to make himself comfortable on the unforgiving concrete floor. He was becoming too weak from loss of blood to even give a shit how painful it all was. He heard snuffling, growling noises. _Oh, fantastic. Now the dogs were sniffing around._ He had enough ammo to see them off, he was sure of that, but his aim might be a little off. Nothing he couldn't handle.


	4. Mass Confusion

Nora blinked into the daylight as she opened the main entrance of Mass Fusion. She was exhausted, she wasn't used to working with Allie, and things that would normally have been easy had been ridiculously difficult without MacCready there to work with. When the Gen 1 and Gen 2 synths had arrived to provide back-up they had provided enough distraction for Nora and Allie Filmore to leave through the front door. Nora's eyes were still darting around looking for MacCready. Allie was more concerned with finding a suitable spot to commence the teleport back to the Institute.

Allie gestured to a clear space on the pavement. 'Here should be ok'

Nora made a subtle hand movement to shush Allie. It was clear that she wasn't used to surface operations the way she was strutting around in the open in that ridiculously out of place hazard suit.

Wait a second, what was that noise? A kind of low moaning like someone was in trouble...

'What...?' Allie was annoyed.

'That noise, it sounds like someone is in trouble...'

'That's not our concern... We need to get this beryllium agitator back to the Institute as quickly as we can.'

'Not our concern? What, we're not even going to investigate?' 

'You do what you want, I'm going back...' 

Nora looked at Allie incredulously and before she could make a retort Allie was gone in a crack of electrical energy. Once the sound from the teleportation had died away and Nora's ears had adjusted she listened attentively, and sure enough the moaning noise could still be heard. She concentrated and started to follow the sound to its source.

A pack of feral dogs were patrolling ominously around a wrecked car, which was seemingly obscuring the source of the moaning noises. Nora could see that the dogs were circling something, obviously waiting on their prey to become too weak before they pounced. With her rifle she proceeded to pick off the mongrels one-by-one. After the mayhem in Mass Fusion this was a simple enough task and she took down one dog with each bullet in quick succession.

Once the dogs were cleared she made her way towards the source of the noises, which were noticeably fainter than when she first heard them.

It was getting dark so Nora shone her Pip-Boy into the the cubby hole between the car and the wall with a shaking hand. She recoiled in shock when she saw a slumped figure, darkened with blood, the white sickly disc of a face upturned towards her, eyes huge. Her heart swelled and skipped a beat as she realised who it was. A morass of feelings rushed through her body, causing her knees to sag and she slumped to the ground.

'Nora...?' His voice was weak, a whisper lost on the breeze.

'Mac... Oh my God.. Mac', Nora clutched his icy cold hand between hers, chafing it for warmth. He was evidently in a bad way. Had lost a lot of blood judging by the unholy mess and the pallor of his face, sickly white under his habitual layer of grime.

'It's OK Mac, I'm here, the dogs, I've killed them. You're going to be OK.'

Nora reached into her pack for a Stimpak, Med-X anything she could lay her hands on. She knelt next to MacCready, attempting to administer the paks. He seemed to rally slightly, but was still disorientated and weak. She needed to get help for him fast. She gently stroked her fingers down his face, trying to project outward calm in contrast to the maelstrom reeling inside of her. She was no medical expert, but if she didn't do something soon even she could tell he wasn't going to make it. 

She flicked through the options in her mind. Goodneighbor was close, Doctor Amari was there, but she'd have to carry him there alone. With night time closing in rapidly and super mutants and feral dogs everywhere she was worried that it would be too risky to move him in such circumstances. Would she be able to teleport into the Institute with him if she was carrying him in her arms? She rattled through her head, wishing she could remember all the technical details. Well, if her clothes and pack teleported when they were attached to her it stood to reason that if MacCready was 'attached' then he would be dragged along with her. Wouldn't he? She could see that she didn't have any other choice.

She knelt next to his crumpled body. He looked like a festering pile of rags. Blood pooled around him and an absurd scattering of hubflowers perfumed the air with their sickly smell. She whispered in his ear. 'Mac this may hurt a little but I need you to stay awake. We need to get you help. I'm going to take you to the Institute to get fixed up.' 

When not even the smallest noise of protest issued from him she knew she had to act quickly. She gathered him up in her arms, feeling thankful that he was so slight. He felt even more thin than usual. A bag of bones. Without her around to nag him to eat he had obviously slipped back into bad habits. Smoking too much and forgetting meals. 

Well, there was no time to deliberate over the technical details of teleportation. It was either going to work or it wasn't. If it didn't they were probably both fucked anyway, so without wasting any more time Nora activated the teleportation chip in her Pip-Boy.

The next thing she knew she was standing by the lift in the Institute, MacCready still in her arms, still clinging to life. Heads were turning and people were swarming towards the incongruous pair. Nora bellowed at a random synth to go and get Doctor Volkert, and the synth obeyed without question. Within moments Dr Volkert had taken charge and MacCready had been carted off to the the medical wing. Nora followed anxiously and questioned Dr Volkert. 'He will be all right won't he?'

'Yes, Ma'am, I think so, it looks like you got him to us just in time. But he should make a full recovery, once we've given him a blood transfusion and fixed him up..'

'Thank you so much, Doctor'

Doctor Volkert's eyes shifted and flicked momentarily towards the door as Shaun walked into the medical wing.

'Mother, what is the meaning of this?' 

'Shaun, I'm sorry, I didn't know what else to do I was desperate..'

'This.. man.. you've brought here. Is he trustworthy?'

'Shaun, you know who this is, this is MacCready. My.... um partner.' (Again she struggled with a label for her lover). 'I'd trust him with my life'

'Umm, well I want him gone just as soon as he is fit enough to be teleported out of here..'

'Of course'

Shaun turned to go, a picture of stoic resignation.

Nora called after him as he left. 'And Shaun, thank you...'

Shaun grunted and continued walking away.

Doctor Volkert cleared his throat and walked over to Nora. 'Probably best if you leave him now, he needs to rest and recover, you look like you could use some sleep yourself. And a shower..'

Nora took the hint and left for her quarters, her eyes fixed on MacCready's recumbent figure until she rounded the corner and could see him no longer.


	5. What To Do And Who's To Blame.

Nora placed MacCready's back pack onto the bed and flopped down beside it. A huge sigh exhaled from her lips, part relief, part exhaustion. He was safe now. She could relax a little. Her head swirled with half formed thoughts and seething emotions as she tried to make some sense of the day's events. She recalled Allie Filmore had been prepared to look the other way when someone was clearly in trouble. Hmm. She'd have to have a word with her about that later. It wouldn't help the Institute's cause if they were deliberately callous. 

Now MacCready was here, actually _in the Institute_ , Nora would have to face up to him once he recovered. Shit. There was no faking the rush of emotion she'd felt when she saw him in danger. And yet.... How was she ever going to reconcile him to the Institute? Maybe once he was recovered and had seen the place for himself he would change his mind. 

MacCready's back pack gaped open as Nora rocked her legs off the bed to head to the shower. _Did she still love him?_ She tried to poke and probe her own mind. Surely if she did she wouldn't need to think about it to this degree? It would all be ok. Once she was in charge of this place they'd patch up their differences and be happy again. And if not? Then maybe things weren't meant to be. Nora lifted MacCready's back pack from the bed. What had she been thinking putting it down on those immaculate white bed sheets. It was grimy, greasy and covered in blood and had already left unsightly marks. Nora tutted her disapproval and gingerly lifted the bag to the floor. As she did so she couldn't resist peeking inside it. She was curious to see what MacCready packed for a solo trip, she sought to justify her snooping _it's not like I'm obsessed by him anymore_. Having justified her actions she rummaged in the bag. How weird, in with his usual books, comics, cigarettes and other junk was a looseleaf folder swathed with string and a plethora of loose type-written and hand-written papers contained inside. What the heck? Was he writing a book now? He still had the power to surprise her.

She couldn't resist taking a peek at the papers. Wondering just what they were. There were lots of them, many of them had different handwriting styles. They couldn't all be MacCready's then, not unless he was working to be some sort of handwriting fraudster. _Unlikely_ , she laughed to herself. Only one way to find out. Nora started to read through the papers.

Once she had started reading the various documents she couldn't stop. Holy shit... this was what he had been bringing to her. The papers were letters, heart wrenching letters from settlers. Some of the settlers she knew well, some she was merely on nodding terms with. There was a common theme running through all the letters. Some were so well written they made her cry, others were crude but the effect was the same. The settlers told their often heart wrenching stories of what the Minutemen and the settlements meant to them. 

A collection of lives, of human stories. Stories of tragedy and hopelessness. Stories of lost children, dead children, despair. Stories of rejection, hunger, illness. People looking for a better life, and peace. People that had found this at her settlements. Now these people were writing to her, thanking her, begging her to reconsider her newfound loyalty to the Institute. Nora gulped. Reading stories about relatives suddenly disappearing, presumably at the hand of the Institute, hit her like a punch to the gut. She couldn't even deny the stories. Shaun had as much as admitted it to her. Her cheeks reddened with the shame that she had even entertained the thought of betraying these poor lost souls... and for what? _A few hot showers and some clean underwear???_

With trembling hands she came to the last of the papers in the folder. The ones she had been putting off reading until last. The ones that filled her with a mix of dread and excitement. The letters that had been written by MacCready.

Nora's hand was shaking as she took the top letter from the bundle. It had been typed out, obviously using the typewriter she'd repaired at Sanctuary Hills, she'd recognise the wonky 'e' and 's' anywhere. She wasn't sure what to expect. The letters started off stumbling, embarrassment oozing from every word and scored out mistake. Nora lifted one of the pages to her nostrils. The scent of cigarette smoke and the whiff of the Sanctuary Hills cooking fire filled Nora's eyes with tears. She longed to be back there, now, sitting beside MacCready on the verandah shit-talking into the night and curled in each others arms. She had been a selfish, heartless idiot. MacCready had saved her yet again, and she would never be able to make it up to him. If she spent the rest of her life trying to repay him it wouldn't be enough, but hopefully he would still be willing to let her at least try.


	6. Ways to Repay

Nora settled into a chrome framed chair next to MacCready's bed in the medical wing. He was looking better, colour had returned to his cheeks and a plethora of beeping machines were surrounding him. She had never seen him look so clean or so young. One of the synth nurses must have cleaned him up. A further testimony to his weakened state; he would have fought like a bear under normal circumstances to prevent a stranger washing away his 'protective coating' as he jokingly dubbed it. She took his long bony hand in hers, starting in surprise to see how clean they were, the fingernails clipped and buffed to pale moons. He was still sleeping peacefully. That was strange, Dr Volkert had been adamant he was awake and ready to receive visitors.

'Look Mac, I er found the 'book' you wrote in your back pack... I err, well I've made a first class dick of myself this time haven't I?' She whispered at his recumbent form, rehearsing her lines, glad of the chance to practice what she wanted to say to him before he awoke. 

As she stroked his hand, the warmth of his skin filled her with relief. She bent low over him and kissed him tenderly on the cheek. She whispered huskily in his ear, no need for the rest of the Institute to listen in on her conversation, 'Mac I love you. I'm so sorry.. So,so sorry...' She felt his eyelid flutter. Was he waking? 'Mac, Mac, I love you so much, please, please forgive me'. His lids fluttered again. She felt his chest shaking and reverberating with suppressed laughter. 

He whispered back 'C'mon Nors, keep it coming... That's some good shit... Now you have to tell me more...you know, about how wonderful I am. How you'll never ever neglect me again. How you'll wait on me hand and foot from now on and wake me with a blow job each morning .....'' 

She resisted the urge to slap him around the head. She was so overjoyed that he was returning to normality that she whispered in his ear again, 'OK, OK you were right, I was wrong. The Institute needs to be taken down. But as we are actually in the belly of the beast right now it's probably best to change the subject...' She nuzzled gently on his ear lobe before pulling her mouth away and kissing him softly on the lips. 

'So, I finally made it into the Institute,' MacCready joked as Nora extricated herself from their kiss. 'Shame I had to almost die to get in, but hey, I'm here now.'

'The real question though, is how are we going to get _out_ of the Institute?' Nora's intonation was loaded with hidden meaning as she reluctantly pulled away from MacCready. The Doctor was signalling to her through the observation window that she had to leave the patient to recover. She gave MacCready one last kiss on the forehead, daring to do no more while the Doctor's eyes were fixed on them

She went back to her room. Tomorrow she would plan what needed to be done, but right now she desperately needed to sleep. 

She lay down on her bed and was asleep within moments.  
\--------------------------------------

Soft breathing filled her ear, and warm gentle hands stroked her body. She shivered with pleasure as she felt a pair of warm lips fluttering on her neck. How had MacCready got into the her room or was this a fantastic lucid dream? Well, her ability to question the circumstances was rapidly being surrendered to the sensations his expert hands were waking in her. He was starting to attend to her needs in ways she was loath to question. His firm but gentle fingers dancing over the soft skin on her belly, close to her core, but stoking the need. 'Mac?' she whispered into the darkness. She wouldn't put it past Shaun to have bugged her chambers. In the darkness how could she even be sure that the body beside her in the bed really was MacCready?

'Shh. Don't want to bring the wrath of the nerds down on us..'

She smiled. Yup, that was definitely MacCready. 'But how.. how did you get here..?' Nora whispered into his ear.

'Well, I just got up out of my bed and walked here... Not exactly rocket science, Nors...'

'But.. how did you know where my room was..?' Even with all the time Nora had spent in the Institute she still struggled to find her way around.

'Ok, so I'm lying here with my hand on your pussy and you want to know how I found your room, like seriously Nora?' MacCready's familiar laughter filled her ears and her heart with joy.

'Yes.. ' Nora was intrigued

'Well, I just, err, grabbed some clothes from a locker, followed the signs to the living quarters, looked at the names on the floor plans and low and behold here I am..' MacCready omitted to mention the wrong turns, the dead ends and the general confusion the Institute layout had caused.

'Oh, I'm impressed...' Nora turned to face MacCready

'What you're impressed just because I found my way to your room? How about if I find my way somewhere _else_?' 

MacCready's suggestive tone made Nora melt inside. 'But, err, the Institute.. they might hear us..'

'So, we _do it quietly_. I mean seriously Nora, you were actually wanting to put yourself in charge of all these brainboxes... ? No wonder they weren't that happy with the idea'

'Shhh.. ' Nora muffled her laughter against MacCready's neck..'You... you, insufferable little man'

'Aww, Nora, that hits me right in the heart.. _little man_! You weren't complaining before' MacCready removed his hands from Nora, 'I'm leaving right now if you're going to insult me like that....'

Nora reached over and pulled him to her, heart pounding, endorphins flooding her. Her brain synapses firing and exploding. How could she ever have questioned her love for him? She felt like she was in heaven and all because this man was lying next to her in bed insulting her. 

She meshed her lips against his, groaning as his arms encircled her again. His lips sought hers with equal fervour and his tongue teased hers with familiar promise. She groaned into his mouth, desperately trying to muffle the sound but unable to suppress it as his hand parted her legs.

She was slick with arousal already and his fingers entered her with one swift movement. She grasped his cock and worked her hand along the shaft, eliciting a muffled groan from MacCready's lips, reverberating through her mouth. His lips left her mouth and kissed along her jaw to her ear, 'I am going to fuck you hard Nora...' Well, if she hadn't been aware of his intentions before she certainly was now. She whimpered in answer to his statement.

'No.. you're still recovering..' she pushed the covers from the bed, and with one fluid movement rolled MacCready onto his back. Reaching over she turned the bedside lamp on, adjusting the beam to a gentle light. She sat next to MacCready and looked down at him, it would have been impossible to tell that he had been so critically injured such a short while ago. His chest was smooth and clean. He was so scrubbed and spotless it discombobulated her for a moment. MacCready's layer of grime usually withstood the feeble warm showers and river washes that were available to them in the Commonwealth. 

She ran her hands over his shoulders and neck, rejoicing in the familiar contours and lines. MacCready groaned with need, a hoarse whisper from him broke the silence in the room, 'Oh God Nora don't tease me, I really need to be inside you right now...'

The words acted like a wake up to Nora. How long had it been? Too long, the last time she had seen him had been a hurried fully-clothed fumble in a sniper's nest. Now he was naked and she realised she was still wearing her Institute night shirt, which she eased over her head and chucked onto the floor. 'That's better..' MacCready reached and grabbed Nora's hips. 'If you don't come over here and take me right now, I'm going to push you down on this bed and fuck you senseless, recovery or no recovery.'

Nora gulped and grasped MacCready's shoulders, pinning him to the bed. 'You stay right there.'

She straddled his hips and stroked along his length, her other hand tenderly cradling his balls. MacCready's head pushed back into the pillow and an involuntary groan from him startled both of them, causing MacCready to bite down on his lip and shut his eyes, tense with the restraint required to remain silent as Nora rolled the head of his cock around her opening. With a firm grasp around her hips he pulled her down until the whole of his cock was sunk deep in her. This time biting on corner of the pillow was the only measure effective enough to suppress his guttural noises as she started to ride his cock.

As she rode him, his hands wrapped around her waist, guiding her, attempting to set an ever faster pace. Nora leant forward, her lips hot on his cheek and temples, the noise reducing pillow still in his mouth. She pulled the corner of the pillow away from his lips and met them with her own warm mouth, her fingers entangling in his hair as she did so. As she continued to fuck him with increased pace their mouths reverberated and filled with the strangled noises they were fighting so hard from ripping through the rarified air of the Institute. 

MacCready felt waves of warmth and pleasure radiating from his groin. It had been so long since they had been like this, in a proper bed, naked. He wasn't sure if he could last much longer. As if sensing his impending orgasm Nora slowed the pace a little and sat up, her mouth separating from his. MacCready propped his head behind his folded arms, the better to appreciate the view of Nora's breasts moving with each exquisite movement of her pussy along his shaft. 

One of her hands moved to her slit, her fingers working her clit as she rose and fell on his cock. Her other arm clutched around her breasts to restrain them as she increased the pace once more.

No longer able to maintain such a relaxed pose, MacCready's hands moved to Nora's thighs, the firm grasp indenting the flesh and signalling to Nora that his release was moments away. This encouraged her further, her fingers slipping over her clit, dripping with her arousal, providing the extra impetus to rip her orgasm from her, her cunt sucking and clenching around MacCready's cock causing him to yell out in surprise at the sensation and bite back the noise whilst involuntarily gaining his own release, the sheer power of which made him glad he was already lying down because the hot rush of feeling as his cum shot into Nora's core was intense enough to make him see stars and feel giddy.

MacCready gathered Nora to his chest as she collapsed down next to him on the bed. 'Thank you for finding me here, Mac' she whispered to him, as he reached over and switched the lamp off. 'Are you OK now, you haven't strained yourself have you?'

MacCready muffled a snort of laughter. A bit late to worry about that now. Not that it was a concern anyway, he'd never felt better in his life. 'Nora, I'm fine, never better,' he reassured her.

'Do you think you should sneak back to your hospital bed now?' Nora was starting to think about the consequences. 

'No' MacCready's reply was short and sweet, not wanting to entertain the idea. 'I have all I need to recover right here.'

'Yeah, but what about Doctor Volkert, what if he finds you gone?' 

'Well I'm sure he'll know where to find me if he's that bothered.'

Despite Nora telling herself to relax , she was supposed to be the Institute Director-in-waiting, she was still concerned about, well, everything really. 'But what about Shaun...?'

MacCready made an irritated tutting noise, 'Seriously Nora, do we have to discuss this right now..? Fuck Shaun, I thought we'd already agreed that we were going back to plan A.' MacCready was still slightly disorientated but shared Nora's concerns about the omniscience of Shaun within his own domain and was loath to discuss plans whilst still within the Institute. 'Nora lying in that hospital bed just thinking about you lying nearby all alone was just killing me... I err, well, I need you, can't live without you, you must know that by now. Let's just go to sleep and worry about this in the morning.' 

Nora started to make noises of protestation. She was prickling all over with guilt and regret for her mistaken allegiance to the Institute. MacCready could detect that the dam was about to burst and was not in the mood for a night of soul searching. He attempted to quell her until morning. 'Yes.. Yes. I know, you're sorry, I really don't want to hear about it right now. Before we go to sleep I'm going to say this once and once only, just so you know if it had been a choice between living without you or living here, I would have chosen to live here with you. I wouldn't have liked it, but I'd have done it. So. Now you know. Now be quiet. We need to sleep, and this is an exceptionally comfortable bed we may as well take advantage while we still can.'

Nora snuggled into MacCready and did as she was told for once. They may as well enjoy this comfort whilst they could. MacCready was developing an annoying habit of being right about everything. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> **Any comments/kudos gratefully received***  
> My tumblr is : [thebanquosghost](http://thebanquosghost.tumblr.com/tagged/fanfic)  
> 


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